Recycling:

Why glass always

has a happy
CO2 ending
In a nutshell
You know there is a direct link between recycling and reducing our
carbon footprint. You also probably know that glass recycling has
many positive environmental and societal benefits. But you might
be surprised to learn how effectively glass recycling reduces CO2.
This is the eternal story of glass and CO2.

Glass bottles are made in a closed-loop recycling system. Bottles

which have been used by consumers are collected and re-melted
in a glass furnace to produce new bottles. This action can be
repeated over and over again as the glass never loses its quality.

CO2 savings from recycling glass occur both at the glass plant, and all along the supply chain. Recycling
glass containers minimises waste, preserves natural resources, reduces energy use and creates jobs
in the recycling industry.

CO2 savings at the glass plant

The glass industry is able to quantify the savings in CO2 emissions at the factory when recycled
glass (known as cullet) is used in the furnace. On average, a 10% increase of cullet in the furnace
decreases its energy use by 3% and CO2 emissions by 5%.

Less CO2 is emitted as less energy is required for melting cullet. Cullet also replaces some ingredients
which naturally contain carbon, such as limestone (CaCO3). These materials release carbon dioxide
when they are melted in the furnace while cullet does not.

CO2 savings over the entire lifecycle

To obtain a complete picture of the CO2 savings when recycling glass, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
must be carried out. The LCA quantifies all of the environmental impacts along the supply chain.

When glass is recycled, there is no need to produce, process or transport the virgin raw materials,
so less fuel is used. Some additional steps must be accounted for, such as the energy needed to run
the cullet treatment plant. However, the CO2 burden of recycling is small compared to its benefits.

Through FEVE, the European container glass industry contracted PE International to undertake a full
LCA study to quantify the environmental impact of glass bottle production and recycling.

The FEVE LCA study shows that, on a cradle to cradle basis, every tonne of recycled glass saves
670 kg of CO2 (EU average). Expressed in terms of percentages, melting 100% cullet reduces
the CO2 emissions by about 58% compared to a situation where no cullet is used.

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 RAW MATERIAL
PROCESSING

RA

N
W

IO
MA CT
T E R IA L E XT R A

OT GLA Y
HER U SES SS FAC TO R

The benefits of CULLET TREATMENT

PLANT
CO N S U M E R

glass recycling on
CO2 emissions in a
closed loop system DIS
POSAL

CO L L
EC TI O N

Recycling glass is beneficial to the environment

Eighty percent of European consumers know that glass can be infinitely recycled without any loss of
its qualities, and that glass recycling has many positive benefits for the environment1.

Each time one tonne of glass containers is recycled in a furnace:

• Less CO2 is emitted as less energy is needed to melt cullet. Emissions from virgin raw materials
breaking down in the furnace are avoided.
• The amount of packaging waste going to landfill is reduced by one tonne.
• 1.2 tonnes of virgin raw material does not need to be quarried, processed and transported.

There are other benefits for the environment and for society:
• Glass is collected and recycled locally. Therefore, CO2 emissions from transport have a very limited
impact on the overall production cycle.
• Glass recycling is a responsible and measureable action that consumers can take to help
the environment.
• Glass recycling creates employment in collection schemes and cullet treatment centres.

1
European Consumers Survey 2010 – InSites Consulting – see www.feve.org

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The FEVE Life Cycle Assessment:
Measuring the CO2 savings over the entire lifecycle
FEVE contracted PE International to carry out a full LCA of the glass packaging industry. The assessment
covered 72% of European production, representing more than 200 glass manufacturing plants. PE
International is a global organisation which provides both consultancy services and software that
help companies and industry bodies to gain a complete picture of the CO2 impact of their businesses.

The study was carried out in accordance with international standards (ISO 14040/44) and measured
the environmental costs of producing one kilogram of formed and finished glass which is ready to
use. This enables us to meaningfully estimate the overall environmental impact of a single bottle. All
aspects of a product’s life, including end-of-life and recycling, are accounted for. This is known as a
cradle-to-cradle LCA. The work of PE International was peer-reviewed by four independent academic
and industry experts.

The FEVE LCA shows that, on a cradle to cradle basis, 1 tonne of recycled glass (cullet) replaces 1.2
tonnes of virgin raw material, saving 0.67 tonnes of CO2 (see graph) for every tonne of finished
glass (EU average). In other words, by replacing 100% of the virgin materials with recycled glass, CO2
emissions are cut by about 58%.

The LCA study took into account the product’s full life cycle: from the extraction of resources,
production, recycling, to the disposal of wastes. Indicators help to quantify the contributions to
environmental impacts such as climate change, smog or acidification.

An LCA does not measure the health impacts of a product, or whether it is fit for purpose. Nor can
the LCA methodology capture the impact of the other major environmental benefits of glass such as
longer shelf life, impermeability, taste preservation, price stability, natural resource availability, or the
sustainability of the post-consumer glass market.

The full LCI data (Life Cycle Inventory) is available to interested customers and stakeholders. To
access the LCI data, please visit our website www.feve.org or email secretariat@feve.org.

More information on the FEVE LCA - as well as on sustainability and glass - can be found on
www.feve.org

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 Boundaries of the FEVE life cycle assessment for container glass
Cradle to Cradle

Recycling into Recycling into Cullet from non- Landfill / Recycling into
glass containers glass wool container glass Incineration aggregates

Collection:
Recycling into Landfill /
Recycling End-of-life Use
aggregates Incineration Transport & Reuse

Cradle to Gate

Treatment of
Transport post-consumer Filling
cullet (CTP) (only generic,
Transport
Gate to Gate incl. washing &
Sterilization

Batch Melting Forming & Final

Transport Conditioning Transport
Preparation (Furnace) Finishing product

Oxygen
Raw production
materials:
Silica Sand
Soda ash
Limestone
etc.
Energy, fuels, Emissions to air, water
other inputs & soil (waste)

Cradle-to-Cradle effect
CO2 emissions (kg co2 /kg formed & finished glass)

1.4
of recycled glass on CO2 emissions
1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.3

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

% recycled glass

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Glass Recycling in Europe Saves Resources
Today, more than 67% of glass bottles and jars sold to consumers in the European Union are collected
for recycling. This translates into more than 11 million tonnes (over 25 billion glass bottles and jars)
being collected throughout Europe. Glass recycling in Europe increases each year thanks to the
commitment of citizens.

The glass industry is able to turn waste glass into a valuable resource to make new bottles and jars,
avoiding the use of virgin raw materials and reducing both energy consumption and greenhouse gas
emissions. Glass recycling creates secure economic growth and local employment in Europe because
the glass is locally collected, locally recycled and locally produced.

Glass is a totally self-supporting packaging system that fits very easily into today’s ambitions for a
circular economy. Glass helps to create a society where recycling is the key factor to reduce waste,
and where waste is considered as a valuable resource.

Glass recycling is truly an eternal story with priceless benefits for the environment and for society.
With the commitment of all stakeholders, we can redouble our efforts to increase the amount of
glass that is recycled even further. We ask the general public, municipalities, waste management
companies, food and drink manufacturers and retailers to work with glass manufacturers to reach
this goal.

Container glass – Collection for

recycling rates in Europe

>60%
50-60%
35-50%
<35%
Not Available

Source: www.feve.org - Data Year 2009

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About FEVE
FEVE is the association of European manufacturers of glass containers and machine-made glass
tableware. The members of FEVE produce over 20 million tonnes of glass per year. The association has
60 members , the most of which are represented in 20 independent corporate groups . Manufacturing
plants are located across 23 European states and include global blue chip and major companies
working for the world’s biggest consumer brands.

The container glass industry accounts for 60% of the total glass production in Europe (including
Switzerland and Turkey). There are over 160 plants in the region, employing 46,000 people. The EU
is the world’s largest producer of container glass. For more information on the glass industry, go to
www.feve.org

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About Glass
As a packaging material, glass containers ensure the preservation, safe delivery and attractive
presentation of a vast array of consumer products. Whether used for drinks, food, cosmetics, perfumes
or pharmaceuticals, glass plays a vital role in supporting European trade and commerce. Glass is
100% recyclable, virtually inert and preserves the original taste of the products it contains.

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About Friends of Glass
Friends of Glass is a European consumer community of more than 21,000 people who support and
promote the consumers’ right to choose food and drink products in glass packaging. A number of
enticing tools are available on the multi-language website www.friendsofglass.com. They include
Hank the Singing Bottle, the Bottle Bank Test and the Pass the Bottle Facebook game. The objective
is to make consumers aware that glass is 100% recyclable infinitely, that it is locally recyclable in a
‘bottle-to-bottle’ system, and that glass recycling is sustainably sound.

Friends of Glass was initiated in 2009 in response to a pan-European

survey commissioned by FEVE. The survey, conducted by the research
institute InSites, found that 74% of European consumers prefer glass
packaging for their food and drinks.

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Glass recycling
saves resources

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Tel: +32 (0)2 536 00 80 • Fax: +32 (0)2 539 37 52
secretariat@feve.org • http://www.feve.org
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